Areas of Interest

Dr. Kim utilizes a broad range of minimally invasive treatments to effectively
treat all aspects of complex spinal disorders, including herniated disks,
spinal stenosis, adult scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, traumatic injuries,
tumors, and infections throughout the entire spine from the neck to the
low back. He is one of only a handful of surgeons in the world to master
laser endoscopic spine surgery (LESS), a state-of-the-art minimally invasive
procedure that effectively treats herniated disks, radiculopathy and sciatica.
The LESS procedure can be performed under local anesthesia, in a same-day
setting and with a small stab incision that is covered with a Band-Aid.

Accepted Health Plans

PPO - Blue Shield

PPO - Cigna

PPO - Health Net

- Medicare/Medi-Cal

PPO - United Healthcare

PPO - Aetna

PPO - Anthem Blue Cross

Insurance ID Numbers

1073677

Physician Bio

Dr. Choll Kim graduated cum laude from Harvard Medical School and completed
his fellowship training in complex spine surgery at the Mayo Clinic. In
addition, he is double-board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic
Surgeons and the American Board of Spine Surgery.

Dr. Kim is an internationally recognized expert in the field of computer-assisted
minimally invasive spine surgery. He has trained and continues to train
specialists throughout the country on the safe and effective application
of state-of-the-art techniques using image guidance and navigation technologies.

Dr. Kim utilizes a broad range of minimally invasive treatments to effectively
treat all aspects of complex spinal disorders, including herniated disks,
spinal stenosis, adult scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, traumatic injuries,
tumors, and infections throughout the entire spine from the neck to the
low back. He is one of only a handful of surgeons in the world to master
laser endoscopic spine surgery (LESS), a state-of-the-art minimally invasive
procedure that effectively treats herniated disks, radiculopathy and sciatica.
The LESS procedure can be performed under local anesthesia, in a same-day
setting and with a small stab incision that is covered with a Band-Aid.

A leader in his field, Dr. Kim is the founder and past president of the
Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (SMISS), the founder of Minimally
Invasive Spine Centers of Excellence (MIS-COE), the chair of the MIS Committee
for the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS),
the spine medicaal director of the Advanced Spine & Joint Institute
at Alvarado Hospital, and an associate clinical professor at UCSD.

Furthermore, Dr. Kim is a Qualified Medical Evaluator and a past voting
member of the FDA Orthopedic Devices Panel, which reviews all new spinal
technologies. He has designed minimally invasive instrumentation used
by surgeons around the world. Dr. Kim is an active member of the North
American Spine Society (NASS) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic
Surgeons (AAOS), and a fellow of the Scoliosis Research Society. Dr. Kim
has over 200 publications and presentations.